Fruit-sizing machine.



W. K. PRICE.

FRUIT SIZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. ms."

Patnttl Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET WITN ESSES rww W 4 w. K PRICE. FRUIT SIZING MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28 I9l6.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

WITNESSES W ZOiw J by the pin 3 .wt i

bev extended 011115 or ting' I and 511 the bolts' ear agmnst camshaft; 5which carries th elevator-Fbe Wing; Th motdr} fdr drivingt'he Inbelted-t0 the pulle which are prO id'ed" with wings 1 fruit, Ohefl at; at'im ppss the I 18 drops fruit into cups 20, and the belt 19 drops fruitinto cups 21. "The, machine is so timed that the cups pass the elevatoratthe rightmoment to catch the fruit as it falls 1 The cams 42 and 43are largest ata pointoppos'i te the elevator, and they decrease "inradius as the bolts 41 move around them, from the elevator thus"allowing the cuparms to rise and decreasethe tensionhon sprin 44. H Thecam 42 begins to decrease in radiusjust opposite bin 1, and it is reduced to its smallest radius opposite bin: 11%.

The cam 43 begins to decrease in radius op posite' binfi, and is reducedto. its smallest radius oppositebin 16. After passing bin, 16 bothcamsrapidly increase in radius until a they reach the position forreceiving the come opposite bins 12 to 16 carry only the fruit in cups.1 a

a The casting carries sixteen, arms 62', each armcarrying a tripping-arm63,lwhich:

is adjustable vertically. The tripping-arms 63 carry both lugs 64 and65. The tripping-f,

arms which come oppositebins 1 to 5 carry the upper lugs 65 only; thetripping-arms which come opposite bins 6 to 11 carry both lugs 64 and65; and the tripping-arms which lower lugs 64.

In operation, the apples to be sized-are dumped onto the sorting-table17, and, are fed to elevators 1'8 and 19. The apples passin up the belt18 drop into the cupsEO,

w ile' the belt 19 drops the apples into the a cups21. As stated, above,all bolts 41 which are attached; to arms of cu 20,.bearagainst cam: 42;and all bolts 41 w ichare attached to arms-ofeup 21, bear againstcam-43. The

springs 44- are adjusted to hold the bolts 41 in contactwith the cams 42and 43,.but with no pressure who-nan apple weighing, forinstance,one-pound,, is in, the cup when the cupis leavingthe elevator.The springs are further adjusted so a 2%-oz.' apple willcause the bolts41, which are connected to cups'20 to separate from the cam 42 at thebin 11,

and! will cause the bolts 41, whichv are connected to cups 21 toseparate from the earns 43 at the bin 16; The radiusof the cam 42 issufliciently reduced at the bin 1 so the bolt 41 will separate from thecam 42 when the/cup is carrying a one-pound. apple; and

the radius of the cam 43 is sufficiently reduced ab binfi so the bolt 41will separate from thecam 43 when the cup is carrying av one poundapple. I Apples ofnintermedaate weights will cause a separation of bolts41 from cams 42 and43 at bins between 1 and 11'. and between 6 and 16,in proportion to their weight.- I I u If there areno apples in thecups,,the on s moveaa'ound the circle, of binsfrom thee evator; thesprings 44 holding thebolts 41 in contact with theca1n42 all the wayaround .whichcauses the cups to adually rise until, cups 20 pass bins 11an cups 2Tpass bin them in separate 16, when they fall until they reachthe p0 sitien fonreceiving the; fruit.

The lugs 65 are locat'ed just high enough to miss thefingers 49 of thecups 20 when there are no apples in the cups.

are located successively higher so they The lugs just miss the fingers'49 as said fingers are gradually lifted up-by the action of the cam 42.The lugs 64 are arranged successively higher so: as to just miss the finers 49 0f the cups21 when there areno app es inthese cups. When an appledrops in a cup the strain on the spring 44 becomes greater, and at somepoint in the movement of the cup over the bins, the s ring 44 will beunable to hold the bolt 41 1n contact with thecam '43, which causes thefinger 49 to stop rising,

and said finger then catches against the lugs i 64, which tips the cu'over and drops the apple into thebin. e spring'51 acting on the bar v47turns thecup to position-for receiving another apple. The point Wherethe bolts 41 will leave the cam 42 for-cups 20' depends upon the weightof the apple after.

the springs have been adjusted to drop a pound apple in bin land a Q-oz.apple in binllf; and this isalso the'case with bolts V 41, cam 43,andcu'ps 21, which drop a pound ap lie in bin'6' and a 24-02:. apple inbin 16.

I he sizes' of apples that will fall in each bin are indicated by thecircles in these bins, 'Fig. 1. The extra fancy apples are in binsIto-1,1, and the fancy apples are'in bins 6 to, 167'; andboth' the extrafancy and fan apples are in bins 6- to 11, but they di er in size sothat the packers are able to pack I boxes'and they mark the boxesaccordingly. j v

The" oamsact' as steadying membersito prevent vibration of the 'scale'beams'or cup-= arm until the'accurate weight is detennine'd, at whichinstant the fruit or other article is dropped into the properreceiving-bin.

What I claim is 1. machine for sizi'ng fruit or other articles, thecombination of a rotatable frame, a receptacle for weighing the fruit,aspring from which said receptacle is suspended, means for changing thetension on" said spring during the rotation of said frame, andmeansbrought into operation by thechangein tension of said. spring todischarge the fruit from said receptac e;

2. In a machine, for sizing fruit or other articles, the combination of'a rotatable frame,a tiltable receptacle for vweighing the fruit, aspring from which saidreceptacle is suspended, means for changing thetension' on said spring during rotation of; said frame,andmeans r thechange in tension of said spring to tilt saidineceptacle. v

3., Ina machine for sizing fruit or other articles, the combination' ofa rotatable framefajreceptade for weighing the fruit,

ought into operation by

